Rice: Israel plan puts ball in other court

[maddezmom]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Israel's plan to dismantle settlements and end its occupation of Gaza puts the responsibility on the Palestinians to halt decades of Mideast conflict, national security adviser Condoleezza Rice said Sunday.

Addressing Israel's assassination on Saturday of Abdel Aziz Rantisi, the Hamas Islamic militant leader, Rice said the United States had not approved the attack in advance or known it was going to happen.

Rice disagreed with the predictions from Arab leaders such as Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak that the plan from Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon would lead to more tension and violence.

"The president is endorsing a plan that he believes will lead to peace and to a two- state solution in the Middle East," Rice said on "Fox News Sunday."

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